With the federal shutdown some of the events planned for National Wildlife Refuge week have been cancelled. But not all -- those events sponsored by the Friends of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge nonprofit group are going ahead.

Ben Goggins wrote in today's paper about Sunday's river cruise with a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator. That event is still a go.

Solar Champions, a local group that promotes solar energy, is drawing attention to a federal incentive that expires at the end of 2013. It provides companies with a bonus depreciation of 50 percent the first year a solar installation is in operation. Put this on top of all the other solar incentives -- including a tax credit of 30 percent -- and there's no reason not to go solar, said Jack Star, the group's founder and driving force.

"It brings the payoff time to a maximum of seven years," Star said. "It could bring it down to even five years."

Tybee recorded its second sea turtle nest of the season on Sunday. It's just north of 13th Street, reports Tammy Smith, who coordinates the sea turtle monitoring on the island. A new volunteer, Sybil Kirkland, found the crawl, or the marks the female left in the sand.

This loggerhead mom did a good job locating her nest above the high tide line.

Hey kids and parents, the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is offering a free nature photography class from 8:30-10 a.m. Aug. 24 at the visitor's center. (The address is 694 Beech Hill Lane in Hardeeville if you want to plug it into your GPS. It's just off 17, though, about 8 miles past the Talmadge Bridge on the left.)

I spent the day Thursday travelling down I-95 with a sea turtle and a corn snake as my fellow passengers. The curator of the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Lindsay Gunzburger, invited me along to report on the animals' visit to the vet at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. The star of the show, of course, was the sea turtle, Salty. More on him and his woes are coming tomorrow.

The Savannah Riverkeeper offers an annual trip downriver to Savannah from Augusta. This year's trip is coming up soon -- Oct. 1-4. It's pretty cool, I can say from experience. The river is not all port; it's amazing to see its wilder side.

Here's more info from the Riverkeeper and Bull River Cruises:

Bull River Cruises and The Savannah Riverkeeper are leading an educational and relaxing four-day trip on the Savannah River.

For people who like to get their hands dirty and garden, but don't have the outdoor space, or for folks who want a little more socializing while they garden, a crop mob is just the thing. It's a call to action at a small farm or community garden.

It's not every day that one national historic landmark visits another. But it'll happen again on April 1 (no foolin') when the schooner Roseway arrives in Savannah. The tall ship, built in 1925, was here in May for the Tall Ships Challenge and decided to make Savannah a permanent port of call. She's scheduled to arrive on the evening of April 1 and be at the Westin Savannah Harbor Dock until May 3.

Saturday (Jan. 25) is the official 2014 Tybee Island Arbor Day. Mayor Jason Buelterman picked that date to coincide with a planned tree planting at River’s End Campground by Savannah Tree Foundation volunteers. The nine native canopy trees join a dozen trees previously there planted by the foundation in 2012 and will complete a tree-lined path (think Wormsloe) which leads to Tybee’s large dog park and, when mature, will provide shade for nearby campers.